Active clinical trials for "Vasculitis"

Aim: To investigate the quality of history taking by physician and computer-based system. Patients: 100 inpatients presenting at the RBK for the first time and treated in the departments of nephrology and cardiology. Methods: The information obtained by the computer based system is compared with the information acquired by conventional history taking. Study endpoint is the comparison of historical data organized according to the elements in a standard medical history on a patient-by-patient basis. Study procedure History taking is performed by physicians according to the guidelines of the RBK. Within 2 days thereafter the patient is interviewed with help of the CLEOS system with the support of a study nurse.

This study will be conducted on 30 patients with mucocutaneous complaints and documented HCV infection. The study will be done at Tropical medicine department , Tanta university. It will be conducted between June2014 and November 2014. The aim of the study is to assess efficacy of Ribavirin in the management of mucocutaneous extrahepatic manifestations of HCV infection.

Previous reports suggested conventional immunosuppressants such as cyclophosphamide could not reduce glucocorticoid dose in remission induction in ANCA-associated vasculitis because of lower remission rate and higher relapse rate. However those reports didn't include rituximab. B cell depletion therapy by rituximab is a new strategy for remission induction in ANCA-associated vasculitis. The RAVE and RITUXVAS trial (NEJM 2010, both) showed high-dose glucocorticoid plus rituximab had roughly the same efficacy and safety as high-dose glucocorticoid plus IV-cyclophosphamide. In addition, recent retrospective observational studies reported low-dose glucocorticoid plus rituximab led to re-induction in severe relapsing ANCA-associated vasculitis. Thus, the investigators aim to investigate whether rituximab can reduce glucocorticoid dose in induction remission in ANCA-associated vasculitis (to show non-inferiority for efficacy between low-dose and high-dose glucocorticoid plus rituximab). Participants will be randomised to the "low-dose glucocorticoid plus rituximab" or the high-dose glucocorticoid plus rituximab" groups. Primary endpoint is proportion of remission at 6 months, then data regarding relapse and long-term safety will be collected until 24 months. The study has been designed by the principal and coordinating investigators. It will include 140 participants from 18 hospitals in Japan. It is funded by Chiba University Hospital and Chiba East Hospital.

The Systemic Necrotizing Vasculitides (SNV) encompass a group of rare diseases which include Wegener's Granulomatosis (WG), Churg-Strauss Syndrome (CSS), Microscopic polyangiitis (MPA)and Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN). Common histological findings are inflammation with fibrinoid necrosis of the small vessels and sporadic or absent immune-deposits. The gold standard therapy for SNV is currently represented by the association of Cyclophosphamide and Prednisone. The limits of this approach are the high frequency of recurrent disease and an increased incidence of malignancy and infections. The aim of the present study is to compare the efficacy of Methotrexate vs Cyclophosphamide for Remission Maintenance in SNV.

Rituximab is the first drug approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's granulomatosis) or microscopic polyangiitis. Because it is a relatively new medication, the long-term safety and efficacy of this drug is not yet clear. This study proposes to follow patients who were enrolled in the RAVE study to determine if treatment with rituximab influences long-term outcomes.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the short- and long-term efficacy and safety of Acthar for the treatment of adults with non-infectious retinal vasculitis.

Immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgA-V), formerly called Henoch-Schönlein purpura, is an immune vasculitis. Relapses are frequent (30%) and most of the time cutaneous (90%). Cutaneous involvement in adults is more severe (haemorrhagic blister or necrotic skin lesions) and more extensive than in children. Quality of life can be significantly altered by frequent cutaneous relapses. Colchicine, historically used for gout flares, is known to be an " old " low cost drug inducing very few adverse events. This molecule inhibits polymorphonuclear cell-chemotaxis to the site of inflammation explaining colchicine clinical efficacy in diseases such as Familial Mediterranean Fever or Behçet disease. Efficacy of colchicine has also been reported in cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis including IgA-V, but without clinical studies supporting this attitude.

The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy and safety of a new drug, mycophenolate mofetil, for the treatment of relapses of ANCA-associated vasculitis (Wegener's granulomatosis or microscopic polyangiitis). Therefore, we compare the standard therapy with cyclophosphamide to mycophenolate mofetil. The investigators expect mycophenolate mofetil to be less toxic and almost equally effective as cyclophosphamide.

Vasculitis denotes affection of small to medium sized vessels by polyangitis. Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) are immunoglobulin G (IgG) autoantibodies directed against constituents of neutrophil granules leading to neutrophil degeneration which results in cell apoptosis known as "Natoptosis" (NaTosis) of the cells. These lead to vessel endothelial cell damage. So that, ANCA formation seems to be the basic reaction in vasculitis. Complement activation at C3 and C4 was thought to be involved in renal damage ANCA associated vasculitis (AAV).

The aim of the investigators' study is to evaluate whether monitoring serum rituximab levels could be an interesting tool in the follow-up of ANCA-associated vasculitis patients. All consecutive patients, hospitalized for a new diagnosis of ANCA-associated vasculitis or the relapse of a known ANCA-associated vasculitis, in which the decision to start an induction regimen with rituximab has been taken, will be included. Serum rituximab levels (along with serum anti-rituximab antibodies levels) will be determined (at M+1 and M+3) and the correlation with clinical outcome at M+6 will be analyzed.